Bryce Blew Us Away

Helen and I reluctantly waved goodbye to our friends in Cortez early in the morning and set out for the seven-hour drive to Red Canyon RV Village in Panguitch, Utah. We took the southern route through Arizona and passed beautiful Lake Powell on the way.  I would have preferred to take the northwestern course through Moab, but there is a tunnel near Zion National Park that is too low for Dora (trailer) to negotiate. Other RVers have made that mistake, and it’s not fun.

Two years ago, we planned to visit Bryce Canyon while camping in Moab, but a snowfall changed those plans. We were grateful for a second opportunity and a chance to do some hiking. Friends told us that this National Park is a must-see. 

Panguitch is a small town about 15 miles from the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park, and our campground was two miles closer. Red Canyon RV Village is a bit run-down and in need of some maintenance.  The RV sites are primarily dirt with a few gravels sprinkled around, and the showers, while very clean, need a do-over. Nevertheless, the staff was friendly and, at $40 per night, the price was right.  Besides, we were not planning to spend much time in the campground.  Ruby had a nice view of the mountains.

Helen and I had three full days to explore Bryce Canyon, and we hiked each day. On the first day, we drove to various lookouts in the truck, then went to the Visitor Center to pick up some maps. The theater was closed due to COVID, which was disappointing.  I always enjoy the movies offered by the National Park Service about the history of the various National Parks and the points of interest in them. A young Park Ranger greeted visitors outside the Center instead and was very helpful in pointing out the trails he would advise two Senior Citizens with a total of five joint replacements to take. He marked the paths on our map.

We left the Center to walk a portion of the Rim Trail and sample what was yet to come. The first glimpse of the red rock formations below the rim blew me away.  I walked forward but looked down most of the way. Stunning is the only word I can think of to describe the view.

On day two, we were up for a longer hike. Helen’s sister had visited Bryce a few years earlier and recommended that we take the Navajo Loop. The Park Ranger informed us that a portion of Navajo Loop was closed, but we could combine part of the Queen’s Garden Trail with the Loop and enjoy a nice hike of about three miles. If we started at Sunrise Point, we could descend 320 feet or begin at Sunset Point with a drop of 600 feet. The Ranger reminded us that going down is usually harder on knees and hips than climbing up–good advice–we started at Sunrise Point.

When we departed the Rim Trail at Sunrise Point, the temperatures were warming up, and there was not one cloud in the sky. At the bottom of the winding descent, the trail flattened out (somewhat) and led us through and around some magnificent formations. The formations, called Hoo-Doos, result from fifty million years of wind, water, and ice erosion carving through what was once an enormous crater lake. The brilliant red colors make them stand out, and they remind me of gigantic Totem Poles.

We met some delightful people on the trail and played tag with a couple from San Francisco who appeared to be about our age. Helen and I moved at our usual Easin’ Along pace while young hikers walked briskly by us. I gave my camera a workout.

Once we reached the Navajo Loop portion of the hike, the trail rose 600 feet up from the canyon floor through a series of switchbacks.  I looked at Helen with that “can we do this” stare, then inhaled deeply and took off. Taking my time and taking more pictures, I made it slowly.  Bryce Canyon sits at 8000 feet in elevation, and the air is a bit thin there. Once at the top, my gasps had to be evident to all around me.

Helen, too, took her time and made it about five minutes behind me. She said she would gladly have paid someone to carry her the last 100 feet. Since no one volunteered, she dug her hiking poles in and trod on.  At Sunset Point, we gave each other a high five and celebrated our achievement.

A visitor joined us on our third full day. Ben, the grandson of some great friends and former neighbors, graduated recently from the University of Alabama and worked now as a staff writer for a weekly newspaper. He lives about two hours north of Bryce Canyon.  Helen and I don’t recall meeting Ben in the past, but when Helen learned he lived in Utah, she told his grandmother that we would love to host him while we were in the area.  Ben loves Bryce and the outdoors and welcomed the opportunity. He arrived mid-morning in time to join us for brunch in Dora.

After spending the day with Helen and me, Ben planned to meet up with a friend in Capitol Reef National Park, an hour’s drive back to the north. With time somewhat constricted, we decided to hike to Inspiration Point, which would take about two hours, allowing for pictures and a presentation by a Park Ranger on Bryce Canyon

We had a lot of fun hiking with Ben.  He is gifted intellectually and seemed very comfortable around two people he had never met. At one point on our hike, he heard a family speaking in a foreign language.  Ben turned to greet them and then carried on a ten-minute conversation with them in fluent French. The family, from Lyon, spoke no English. I was most impressed.

We all were equally impressed with the view from Inspiration Point, which sits higher than the other viewpoints we used. Our hike required another ascent along a trail of about a mile round-trip, but we made it with no difficulty.  I suppose we were seasoned hikers by now.

Back at the parking area, we said our goodbyes to Ben and told him we would love to stay in touch. Helen sent him away with a lunch cooler filled with two fried bologna sandwiches, loaded up, along with some oranges. He will do well on whatever path he chooses in his future.

We had a great time in Bryce Canyon.  Long ago, I realized that our National Parks are the greatest gift Americans have given ourselves.  I hope to see many more of them; there is so much to learn there. After watching college-age girls and young moms race past me on the trail, I learned I need a pair of leggings. Easin’ Along will go much better, I’m sure.